Chicken in Green Chillies (Murghi Marcha Ma)
A rich and aromatic Parsi heritage dish where tender chicken and hard-boiled eggs are simmered in a luscious coconut and green chilli gravy. The unique combination of large mild chillies, cooling fresh coconut, and savory ghee creates a complex flavor profile that is both bold and comforting without being overwhelmingly spicy. Finished with a splash of lemon juice and freshly ground spices, this dish is traditionally served hot with rotis or rice for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken Whole chicken, cut into pieces (Cleaned and cut into serving pieces.)
- 4 ounces Large mild green chillies (Originally '1 pasher'. Use large, less spicy varieties like Anaheim or Banana peppers.)
- 8 ounces Onions (Originally '0.5 seer'. Approx 2 medium onions.)
- 1 cup Ghee (Originally '0.5 seer' (approx 8 oz). Can reduce to 1/2 cup for modern preference.)
- 1 ounce Fresh ginger (Originally '2.5 tola'. Approx 30g.)
- 1 bulb Garlic (Small bulb/pod.)
- 1 whole Fresh coconut, grated (Use 1 large coconut.)
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Salt (Heaping teaspoon, or to taste.)
- 7 pods Green cardamom pods
- 7 whole Cloves
- 4 large Eggs (Hard-boiled.)
- 2 1/2 cups Water (Originally '1.25 seer'. Adjust as needed to boil chicken.)
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Instructions
- 1Hard boil the eggs until firm, peel them, and cut them lengthwise into two pieces each. Peel the ginger and garlic. Grate the fresh coconut. Grind the ginger, garlic, and grated coconut together into a very fine paste. Wash the green chillies whole, keeping the stems intact.
- 2Clean and wash the chicken pieces thoroughly. Place the chicken in a pot with approximately 2 1/2 cups of water (add more if necessary to cover) and half of the salt. Boil until the chicken is tender. Ensure about 1 cup (approx 1 pasher) of the stock remains in the pot; do not let it dry out completely.
- 3Finely crush the cardamom and cloves. Peel the onions and slice them very finely (like vermicelli). In a heavy-bottomed pan (originally a tinned pot), heat the ghee and fry the sliced onions until they turn a golden almond-brown color.
- 4Add the ground coconut-ginger-garlic paste to the fried onions and fry until the mixture turns reddish/brown. Remove the pan from the heat briefly. Add the whole green chillies, the remaining salt, the boiled egg halves, and the cooked chicken pieces. Mix everything very gently with a spoon so the eggs do not break.
- 5Place the pan back on low heat. When the chicken mixture is well-browned, pour in the reserved chicken stock. Cover the pan and let it simmer gently (originally 'on embers'). When the ghee separates and floats to the top, remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and sprinkle the crushed cardamom and cloves over the dish. Serve hot.
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